The management of vehicular occupants during collisions has given rise to a plethora of energy handling devices. Knee bolsters are one such device. Because of space limitations within the confines of vehicular passenger compartments, it is desirable to utilize the glove box door as a knee bolster. This dual role necessitates that the door function without undesirable vibration and without degraded appearance and tactile cues, while not weighing an excessive amount.
It would be desirable to provide an active knee bolster for use in an automotive vehicle, with the knee bolster being not only light in weight and visually attractive, but also being characterized by structural integrity giving excellent tactile feel and resistance to unwanted vibration.